TIE Advanced alpha strike list

By Biophysical, in X-Wing Squad Lists

Tempest Squadron Pilot 21, Title 0, FCS 0, Concussion Missiles 4 = 25 x 4 = 100

Turn 1: Everybody that can fires their guns and picks up Target Locks

Turn 2: Everybody that can Focuses and fires Concussion Missiles. That's probably 14 one damage.

Turn 3: Make half of somebody's list work to kill four of one of the tankier fighters in the game.

Try Accuracy Corrector and Cluster. Minimum of 16 damage, maximum of 24.

Agreed. The problem with using Fire Control System to set up locks for Concussion Missiles, is that you don't get to fire the missiles until the turn after you engage - which means that:

(a) any casualties in the initial exchange of fire (which you'll probably do badly at since you're committing to using your 2-dice primary weapons) are going down with their missiles still in their tubes, and

(b) an opponent coming at you head on will try to sprint into range 1, under the minimum range of your missiles, for the second turn.

Long-range missiles really need to be fired at the first opportunity.

It's a lot easier to hold back and sprint for range 1-2, than it is to land at range 3, especially with low pilot skill, so Cluster Missiles are probably a good call for Tempest Squadron Pilots - in which case the accuracy corrector is a good buy.

Another good option for Tempest Squadron Pilots might be the Sensor Jammer. Since you're shooting last, and you're in a tanky fighter, then you could go for the systems slot that makes them even tankier still. Sensor Jammer & Proton Rockets also saves you a point per fighter relative to Accuracy Corrector and Cluster Missiles (admittedly by being much more dependent on getting in close).

I think concussion missiles are a better buy for the higher pilot skill Advanceds like Darth Vader, but if you take them, you'll only get a squad of three.

Accuracy Corrector + Clusters is great, I'm just looking at the alternative because nobody has really talked about it (that I've seen), and I think it has some interesting advantages. With 4 PS2 pilots, you're not getting a first round of shooting Target Lock most of the time, but using FCS you can pick one up action free. This lets you focus on the second turn of firing and a focused Concussion Missile has to roll 2 blanks to do less than 4 damage. Remember, this 4 damage is opposed by only 1 defense roll instead of 2 (as for Cluster Missiles). If the target jumps you to close the gap to range 1, you still have a 3 dice Focus/TL primary shot, which is almost as good against most targets as 2x2 damage hits (but doesn't use your payload shot).

With Clusters, odds are that 1 of your 8 rolls will be three damage (the others are two damage), so we'll call it 17 damage opposed by 8 defense rolls.

AGI 0: 0 damage negated (17 remaining)

AGI 1: 3 damage negated (14 remaining)

AGI 2: 6 damage negated (11 remaining)

AGI 3: 9 damage negated (8 remaining)

With Concussions, odds are that 1 of your 4 rolls will be three damage (the others are four damage), so we'll call it 15 damage opposed by 4 defense rolls.

AGI 0: 0 damage negated (15 remaining)

AGI 1: 1.5 damage negated (13.5 remaining)

AGI 2: 3 damage negated (12 remaining)

AGI 3: 4.5 damage negated (10.5 remaining)

Slight edge to the Clusters against AGI 0 and 1, slight edge to the Concussions against AGI 2 and 3. Worth mentioning is that 4 AC Clusters can automatically kill a Decimator, but also that 2 damage attacks start having a very hard time ever getting through AGI4+ targets (Phantoms, Interceptors with Stealth Device, ships behind rocks, AGI3 stuff with lots of defense tokens). 4 dice Concussions can drive damage through high defenses. Accuracy Correctors are also better on non-Ordnance attacks at range 2-3. It might be worth having mixed squads.

But your Concussions have a greater risk of dying, and more importantly, the FCS Advanced is a much weaker primary fighter than the Accuracy Corrector Advanced.

They do have a greater risk of dying before missiles go off, but it's not a big risk. They're tough. I mentioned that AC is better at Range 2-3, FCS is actually better at range 3. Overall, I'll conceed that AC is better overall, it's just terrifically bad against AGI3 or more, so you might want a few Concussion Missiles in there to drive damage through against that sort of target.